IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (IOSR-JPBS)

e-ISSN: 2278-3008, p-ISSN:2319-7676. Volume 10, Issue 4 Ver. V (Jul - Aug. 2015), PP 13-16
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Distribution of Salicornia brachiata in Relation to PhysicoChemical and Soil Characteristics in Godavari Estuary, AP, India
G.M.Narasimha Rao and P. Prayaga Murty
Department of Botany, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam-530003, A.P. India

Abstract: Salicornia brachiata is a halophyte occurs in estuarine habitats of mangrove regions. Plants
popularly known as Sea asparagus are cooked and eaten or pickled. It is also a good fodder for cattle, sheep
and goat. Plant material is also used as raw material in paper and board factories. Its seeds yield high quality
edible oil which is highly poly unsaturated and similar to safflower oil in fatty acid. Six study sites were selected
in different parts of the estuary for collection of data on distribution of Salicornia brachiata populations in
relation to Physico-chemical and soil characteristics. Transects were made to get the data on density of the
Salicornia populations and soil samples were collected from different stations along the transect line to collect
the information on soil salinity, soil pH and ratios of silt, clay and silt content in the sediments. Soil salinity
varied from 24 to 34 ppt in all study sites, pH of the soil samples varied from 7.6 to 7.9. Soil analysis shows the
sand content varies from 9.0 to 18.0, silt 46.0 to 61.0 and clay 23 to 38. In the Godavari estuary maximum
density (3242 plants/hectare) was reported for Salicornia populations in the station 1(Chollangi) followed by
station-4 ( Masanitippa; 1678 plants/hectare). Minimum density (564 plants/ hectare) of the Salicornia
populations were recorded in the station-5 (Pandi) of the Godavari estuary.
Key words: Distribution, density, soil characteristics, Salicornia brachiata, Godavari estuary.

I.

Introduction

Halophytes are transitional plants which occur in between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Salicornia
brachiata is a halophyte occurs in estuarine and saline areas of the tropical and subtropical regions of the Globe.
In India species of Salicornia grows along the estuarine regions of the east and west coasts. Several authors
studied the ecological and cultural investigations on species of Salicornia Satish et al, 1991; Narasimha Rao et
al, 2012; Narasimha Rao and Reddi, 2013,Narasimha Rao and Murty,2013) [1,2,3,4,5,6]. In the present
investigation an attempt was made to study the distribution of Salicornia brachiata in relation to soil salinity and
sediment characteristics at different regions in the Godavari estuary.

II.

Study sites and Methods

Mangroves of Godavari estuary distributed from Chollangi near Kakinada to Anthervedi near
Narasapur, mangroves, associated mangroves and halophytes are distributed along the estuarine habitats of the
Godavari estuary. Six study sites were selected in different areas of the Gautami and Vashista branches of the
Godavari estuary (Fig.1). At each station two transects were placed from waterfront to barren zone where no
plant populations occur. Quadrates of 4M X 4M were made along the transect line at 5M interval from water
edge to a distance of about 50-60 M. The plant populations present in the quadrates were noted and sediment
samples were collected from water edge to every 10 M region up to end of the forest or up to 60 M of the
transect line to know the sediment features in relation to distribution of Salicornia and other halophytes.
Sediment analysis was done by the pipette method (Craver, 1971) [7 ]

III.

Results and Discussion

Information collected on Salicornia and other halophytes present in different parts of the Godavari
estuary were presented in the Table.1. Density of the Salicornia species and other mangroves of this estuary
varied from station to station. Maximum density of the Salicornia was reported in station-1 and minimum
density was reported in the station-3. In all six study sites 12 plants such as Acanthus ilicifolius, Clerodendron
inerme, Derris trifoliate Dalbergia spinosa, Excoecaria agallocha, Ipomoea tuba, Myriostachya wightiana,
Salicornia brachiata, Sesuvium portulacastrum, Suaeda maritime, Suaeda monoica, Suaeda nudiflora including
halophytes and associates mangrove species were reported.
Information collected on physicochemical features and sediment analysis from six study sites in three
different seasons of the Godavari estuary was presented in Tables- 2 to 7. Salinity of the sediment samples
varied seasonally from 24 to 34 ppt, pH of sediment samples varied from 7.7 to 7.9 in different regions of the
Godavari estuary. (Table 2 to 7). Soil analysis shows the there was gradual increase in the sand percentage from
water front to barren zone or end of the forest (10 to 17), likewise silt and clay percentages were varied from 0
M to 60 M length of the transect in different study sites of the Godavari estuary (Table-2 to 7). Bhaskara Rao et
DOI: 10.9790/3008-10451316

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Distribution of Salicornia brachiata in relation to Physico-chemical and soil characteristics in

al (1992) [8] reported that high density of mangrove populations were reported where silt was high and sand
content were minimum in the sediments. Narasimha Rao and Dora (2009) [9] studied the distribution of
mangroves in relation to salinity and pH of the soil samples along the transect lines and reported that true
mangroves occurs very near to the water front region where salinity was in between 25 to 26.5 ppt while
halophytes grow near to the barren zone where salinity was 40ppt. In the present study also salinity varied from
24 to 34 ppt ( water front to halophytic zone) which agrees the earlier observations of Bhaskara Rao et al(1992),
[8] Narasimha Rao and Dora (2009). [9]
Salicornia brachiata prefer to grow in the saline zones of the mangroves habitats where other mangrove
and associated mangroves unable to grow and develop normally. In general Mangroves and associated
mangroves prefer to grow in the salinity fluctuations of 5 to 25 PPT, besides sediment characters such as
proportions of silt, clay and sand contents play an important role in the formation and development of
mangroves and halophytes.

Acknowledgement
Grateful thanks are due to the Department of Science & Technology, Technology Bhavan, New Delhi
for the Financial assistance Under the Project Distribution, cultivation and conservation of Salicornia
brachiata: a potential halophyte for bio-fuels. Sanction order No. WTI/ WAR-W/13/2011 (G) dated 14-112011.

References
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E. Gleen, WO Lwary and W. Corolyn Salicornia Bigelovii Torr: An oil seed halophyte for planting density and soil residue
amendment, Plant soil, 1, 1991, 23-322
E. Glenn, N Hicks and J. Riley Seawater Irrigation of Halophyts and Biosaline agriculture . Marcel Dekker, New York,1995,pp.221.
Satish, S, Reddt MP and Iyengar ERR, Ecophysiological studies on Salicornia brachiata, Proceedings of the International
Symposium,Jodhpur,India,1991.
GM Narasimha Rao, V Lakshminarayana, and BN Reddi, Distribution and composition of halophytes at Vainateyam
estuary,Andhra Pradesh, Plant Sci.Res.,34 (1&2), 2012,97-98.
GM Narasimha Rao, and BN , Reddi, Distribution and density of Salicornia brachiata ( a potential halophyte) in Godavari estuary.
IJBPAS 2(4), 2013, 974-979.
GM Narasimha Rao and P Prayaga Murty, Morphological and Anatomical Features of Salicornia brachiata Roxb J. Biol. Chem.
Research Volume 30 (2) 2013 Pages No. 887-891
R.E. Carver Sedimentary petrology, (John wiley & Sons Inc, London) 1971,pp.653.
V. Bhaskara Rao, GM. Narasimha Rao, GVS Sarma and B. Krishna Rao, Mangrove environment and its sediment characters in
Godavari estuary, East coast of India. Indian Journal of Marine Scicences 21: 1992. 64-66.
GM Narasimha Rao and SVVSN Dora, An experimental approach to mangroves of Godavari estuary. Indian Journal of Forestry.
Vol. 32 (3) : 2009. 431-432.

Table 1. Density of the halophytes and associated mangroves including Salicornia brachiata in
six study sites
S.No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Name of the species

Acanthus ilicifolius
Clerodendron inerme
Derris trifoliata
Dalbergia spinosa
Excoecaria agallocha
Ipomoea tuab
Myriostachya wightiana
Salicornia brachiata
Sesuvium portulacastrum
Suaeda maritima
Suaeda monoica
Suaeda nudiflora

St. 1
346
78
42
24
326
32
242
3242
842
1452
1822
846

St. 2
424
84
38
48
288
26
128
1292
676
1262
1624
1026

St. 3
348
124
52
38
278
36
184
942
584
1424
1386
964

St. 4
868
42
28
46
342
42
142
1678
624
1574
1678
1214

St. 5
678
86
36
52
262
24
282
564
772
2172
1898
758

St. 6
568
68
22
34
184
38
312
1456
812
1642
1724
926

Table-2: Percentage of various soil particles , soil salinity and pH in the mangrove habitats of the
Chollangi
S.No
1
2
3
4

Distance from
creek (in meters)
0
10
20
30

DOI: 10.9790/3008-10451316

Soil salinity
()
27
30
31
34

Soil pH

Sand(grams)

7.7
7.8
7.7
7.9

12
16
14
9.0

Silt
(grams)
52
46
48
61

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Clay
(grams)
36
38
38
30

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Distribution of Salicornia brachiata in relation to Physico-chemical and soil characteristics in

Table-3: Percentage of various soil particles , soil salinity and pH in the mangrove
habitats of the Matlapalem
S.No

Distance from
creek (in meters)
0
10
20
30
50

1
2
3
4
5

Soil salinity
()
25
28
29
31
28

Soil pH

Sand(grams)

7.6
7.8
7.7
7.9
7.8

14
17
16
12
18

Silt
(grams)
51
47
49
61
58

Clay
(grams)
35
36
35
37
34

Table-4: Percentage of various soil particles , soil salinity and pH in the mangrove
habitats of the Gaderu
S.No

Distance
from creek
(in meters)
0
10
20
30
50
60

1
2
3
4
5
6

Soil
salinity
()
28
27
30
31
29
30

Soil pH

Sand(gra
ms)

Silt (grams)

Clay
(grams)

7.7
7.7
7.8
7.9
7.8
7.8

12
14
17
14
16
18

61
57
51
58
56
57

27
29
32
28
28
25

Table-5: Percentage of various soil particles , soil salinity and pH in the mangrove
habitats of the Masanitippa
S.No

Distance from
creek (in meters)

1
2
3
4
5
6

0
10
20
30
50
60

Soil
salinity
()
25
27
31
31
29
31

Soil pH

Sand(grams)

Silt (grams)

Clay
(grams)

7.6
7.6
7.8
7.7
7.8
7.9

14
12
18
15
14
17

59
58
56
57
56
60

27
30
26
28
30
23

Table-6: Percentage of various soil particles , soil salinity and pH in the mangrove
habitats of the Pandi
S.No

Distance from creek

(in meters)

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

0
10
20
30
40
50
60

Soil
salinity
()
24
30
29
31
31
32
31

Soil pH

Sand(gra
ms)

Silt
(grams)

Clay
(grams)

7.6
7.7
7.7
7.9
7.8
7.9
7.7

10
14
16
14
16
16
15

61
61
58
59
58
59
54

29
25
26
27
26
25
31

Table-7: Percentage of various soil particles , soil salinity and pH in the mangrove
habitats of the Vashista
S.No

Distance from creek

(in meters)

Soil salinity
()

Soil pH

Sand
(grams)

Silt
(grams)

Clay (grams)

1
2
3
4

0
10
20
30

29
30
32
33

7.7
7.6
7.8
7.8

14
17
16
11

55
51
49
61

31
32
35
28

DOI: 10.9790/3008-10451316

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Distribution of Salicornia brachiata in relation to Physico-chemical and soil characteristics in

Fig. 1 showing the study sites in different parts of the Godavari estuary

DOI: 10.9790/3008-10451316

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